Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Very Special #CookForJulia #SundaySupper...Featuring Onion-Rice Soubise

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ― Julia Child

One of my earliest food memories is watching Julia Child's television program on the local PBS station. Julia cooked French food -- foods that this young Texas gal had never heard of -- much less eaten. I was hooked! I loved the obvious happiness that she displayed as she cooked...and that she didn't take things too seriously. Things didn't always go as planned when she cooked, and she just took it in stride and carried on. I appreciated that Julia kept it real! She's one of my original cooking heroes. Before there was Emeril, Thomas Keller, or Iron Chefs...there was Julia. Mention the name Julia to any foodie, and they'll know immediately who you're talking about...no last name needed!!

Julia Child's 100th birthday is later this month, so the #SundaySupper crew is celebrating by throwing a virtual party featuring some of her best recipes! Michael gave me the two-volume set of Mastering the Art of French Cooking a couple of years ago for Christmas. Until now, I've mostly used it as a reference for cooking techniques. Some of the recipes are a bit time-consuming and can be a bit intimidating, even for an experienced cook. But? They really don't have to be...the recipe I'm sharing today is quite simple and very delicious: Soubise. Never heard of it? Yeah, I hadn't either until this week. Now, I'm wondering where it's been all my life!

Soubise is pronounced soo-beez...and it's a baked mixture of thinly sliced onion and rice with a bit of cream, butter, and cheese tossed in for richness. It's simple, but oh-so-yummy! After a few minutes of initial prep work, the oven does the rest of the work for you. The only minor tweaks I made to Julia's original dish were to make a half batch to serves three people...and I added a bit of thyme and some extra cheese on top to make it a gratin.

Onion-Rice Soubise

gently adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add 1/3 cup rice; cook for exactly 5 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside. Meanwhile, thinly slice 1 lb. yellow onion. For me, this was one large yellow onion...which I sliced using my OXO hand-held mandoline. Add 2 tbs. melted butter to the onions and toss to coat. Place in a 9x9 baker.

Step 2: Add the reserved par-cooked rice, 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, and salt & cracked pepper to taste. Stir well to combine, cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake for about an hour. The liquid from the onions will cook (and flavor) the rice perfectly. I removed the foil halfway from baking, gave it a good stir, and then finished baking.

Step 3: After the soubise has finished baking, the rice will be tender. Add the following ingredients to the pan: 2 tbs. heavy cream, 1/4 cup shredded gruyere, and 1 tbs. butter. Stir well to combine. Top with 1/2 cup additional gruyere and top with a sprig of thyme for color. Bake until the cheese has melted.

This side dish is really unique: reminiscent of risotto from the addition of cream and butter at the end, but the ratio of onion to rice is at least 2-to-1. The onions cook up tender and sweet, and the cream/cheese/butter combo gives it a rich creaminess. This dish paired perfectly with juicy grilled chicken. I'm so glad to have added this to my culinary repertoire, and I can't wait to make it again. I hope that you'll add soubise to YOUR must-try list!

While you're at it, I also hope you'll join us for a very special #CookForJulia #SundaySupper chat on Twitter tonight at 700EST. While you're at it, make sure to visit my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers and see which classic Julia dish they're sharing today:

I agree with Becky! It does sound like a perfect side dish with grilled chicken. Love the extra added cheese to this delicious rice!What a great list of talented foodies...will check them out! Thanks for sharing, Wendy:D xo